300 Blackout, myths and truths explored.

[rebel]

I have never commented in the many " Match bullet for deer hunting " threads. To each is own. I will not judge another brother that is recovering deer with 2 sticks and a string, match bullets, or a 300 Blk. With all three, considerations of what you are shooting/slinging come into play. No big deal if you have to use the big magnum, I don't.

 

[TimS]

I’ve taken several whitetail deer with my 300BO shooting subsonic.

It’s about knowing the limits of the cartridge, the shooter and the Bullet.

This is a Lehigh Defense Bullet, shot @ 1050fps, that killed a good buck at 85 yards. I found the bullet just under the skin on the opposite side of it’s chest. The deer dropped in it’s tracks.

 

[johnfred1965]

Excellent performance with that bullet!

 

[dellet]

View attachment 1061840 I’ve taken several whitetail deer with my 300BO shooting subsonic.

It’s about knowing the limits of the cartridge, the shooter and the Bullet.

This is a Lehigh Defense Bullet, shot @ 1050fps, that killed a good buck at 85 yards. I found the bullet just under the skin on the opposite side of it’s chest. The deer dropped in it’s tracks.

This is a real good example of a subsonic bullet. It is available from a number of smaller manufacturers as a loaded round.

At 194 grains and 1050 MV it has 475 pounds of energy. It takes about 400 yards to drop 100 pounds and 100 fps. The bullet is still functional.

The problem at 400 yards is that with a 100 yard zero, it would have 21 feet of drop and would be dropping about one inch per yard.

In the real world that bullet is capable of a 2.5” group at 200 yards without much trouble. So plenty capable at 100 yards and less in capable hands.

The problem is all people will read, is that the bullet functions past 400 yards and they barely function at 25 feet. That’s part of educating people to what is actually reasonable use of the cartridge.

Thanks for the photo

 

[dellet]

Maker bullets has probably a dozen bullets for the cartridge. Ranging from about 85-220 grains, both sub and super. Some lightweight subs for single shots. This gives an idea of expansion at lower velocities.

 

[TimS]

I do like shooting and hunting with subsonic suppressed firearms .

If ATF finds me worthy, I’ll be hunting with this 45-70 Whisper this fall.

 

[dellet]

View attachment 1061852 I do like shooting and hunting with subsonic suppressed firearms .

If ATF finds me worthy, I’ll be hunting with this 45-70 Whisper this fall.

Now that could be interesting in a lever gun with recoil

 

[Park ranger]

Barnes 110 has worked great for me. Bang flop!

 

[spencerhenry]

There are probably 10 factory offerings currently that meet the requirements you laid out from the state of Colorado. Most would have 1000 pounds out closer to 150 yards.

Subs won’t do it and I’m guessing that there are no pistols allowed for deer in Colorado?

Exactly, subs won't do it. If not shooting a black out subsonic, why use a black out?
Pistols are legal, I have killed 5 elk and 4 deer with pistols. Different requirements for energy.

 

[rebel]

Exactly, subs won't do it. If not shooting a black out subsonic, why use a black out?
Pistols are legal, I have killed 5 elk and 4 deer with pistols. Different requirements for energy.

Maybe because you want to? And it will do the job within it's wheelhouse very well.

 

[dellet]

Exactly, subs won't do it. If not shooting a black out subsonic, why use a black out?
Pistols are legal, I have killed 5 elk and 4 deer with pistols. Different requirements for energy.

Don’t misunderstand me, I didn’t say subs won’t kill. I said they won’t meet the rifle requirement in Colorado.

A 240 grain or heavier bullet exceeds the energy requirements for pistols at subsonic velocities. So it is perfectly legal In the state of Colorado to hunt with a Blackout pistol.

The trend toward lighter bullets for subsonic hunting with the cartridge is troubling, but to say that it is a poor choice implies hunting with any pistol is a poor choice.

For what it’s worth the 265 grain cast bullet I shoot is good for about 650 pounds at 50 yards and will still exceed 550 at 100.

 

[ebb]

Does there exist an estimate of barrel life? It must be high.

 

[rebel]

Does there exist an estimate of barrel life? It must be high.

In the thousands of shots. Like way more than 2000 with just supers.

 

[dellet]

I only know one person who has enough different rifles in the cartridge, who shoots enough and keeps good records.
Across 5-6 rifles of different barrel types chrome lined, stainless and such, some mostly supers some mostly suppressed, he figures 10,000 plus for each one. Keep in mind he is a hunter first, but does expect basic MOA accuracy.

When the cartridge was pitched to the military it was 2 MOA with a life expectancy of 15,000 rounds.

Full pressure loads, 55,000 psi with jacketed vs 20,000 and cast will make a big difference. I’m sure with some effort you could wear one out in a few thousand shots depending on your expectations.

 

[Westhunder]

Could someone please explain to my WHY they'd use this round as a "deer cartridge?"

The 300AAC Blackout was developed for one purpose, subsonic use.

And it's awesome for this.

Why shoot deers with it?

Why not sheet the deers with a 308Win?? Why try to make an argument for using the 300AAC BO for something it isn't?

Help me to understand please.

We use it because the buck to do ratio is severely out of wack... 7-8 does per buck. May not sound like a bad thing however the bucks can breed all those does when they come in heat. So they get lazy and may get bred on the 2nd cycle or third, or now any time of year.

So why does this matter?

If you take 50 fawns and let them all go at once, how likely are coyotes to get them all before they grow up a little and wise up? Conversely let 10 go every month and see how many make it. It’s like an all you can eat buffet. You are actually making the coyotes wiser because of all the opportunities they get throughout the year.... bang huge coyote problem, attacking kids now and small yard animals.

Here ya go... going to tie it all in for you. The 300 blkout was developed for sub and super use, in the same magazine mind you. Little bit of pistol power, lots of kinetic energy. We made it to much more by our need to perfect good ideas. I use it for hunting deer because I’m a conservationist. I try to balance the herd in our area. We have a deer quota program for those interested in it as well. It allows you to hunt subsonic with a can and take three or four doe in a field before the supersonic crack scares them all off after the first shot. Methodical precision. You hunt with a big loud stick, I’ll hunt with a scalpel. Won’t train the deer, or the varmints. Those jokers already know when opening day deer season is, fill up the truck, donate the meat and make for a better larger herd with proper game management with a perfect round for doing so.

Wes

 

[bluealtered]

I got a blackout 16" upper in trade a couple of years ago and like others i simply bought some otc bullets and took it out and wasn't impressed, it went to storage. I started rethinking about it a little while ago and after researching it's short history now i understand what it takes to make it work. I also live in a area where your shot can be 25yds to 1000yds or more so taking the right gun for the job means i won't be taking the blackout any time i will be hunting more than a few hundred yards. (In the forest)

It is a very good round for what it was designed to do, no it isn't going to go 300yds and knock down a thick skinned animal, using a 9" barrel with a can on the end of it. It wasn't made to do that, a simple look at what it was designed for shows that. I shoot super from a 16" barrel and it will ring steel at 400yds "all day long", it also has killed a coyote at that distance.( That was probably luck) It has become a keeper to me.

 

[Clancy]

I like the round as a small and medium game cartridge with the v max load.

I think it’s fantastic for practicing positional shooting as well. You can learn more about managing recoil with it than a 22 caliber.

 

[Knotwild]

I like to try to simplify things and that could be the right or wrong approach. The .300BO is definitely a cartridge that returns results that are directly tied to your experience with it. In other words, you get out what you put into it. I've got two, and I haven't put much time in with them because (for me) it just doesn't do anything better than other cartridges I shoot.

Since close range suppressed shooting sounded good, I put together one as a SBR. It's ok, but when I put together a 45 acp AR pistol with a brace and suppressed it, things really got entertaining - at least out to 50 yards or so. And the 230 grain bullet arrives on target pre-expanded to 0.452".

 

[dellet]

One of the problems with the cartridge and reputation is the owners. Generally the conversation goes something like "I want to put one together" followed closely by "who makes the cheapest barrel". Once it's together, they want the cheapest ammo, trying not to spend more than $10 a box. If they handload the budget is about 20 cents a bullet, that they hope can be used as both a sub and super, using one powder. Oddly enough, it can be done with decent results. If clays at 100 yards is your idea of fun.

What happens tho when you put together a decent rifle, with quality loads?

Together with a friend, we did just that. Using an AR with a 10 1/2" barrel and a G9 bullet. Just under 1900 fps, that bullet had a G1 BC of 465 calculated with Lab Radar and actual drops.

That produced first round hits on half size IPCS targets at 3,4,5,6,700 yards. He did not trust the wind and dope at 800, made a correction (he thought) and missed. Next 3 shots without the correction were on. When I asked why he didn't take it to 1000, he said he ran out of scope. Adjustment from a 100 yard zero at 800 yards was 56 MOA.

Not saying that it can compete with the big kids, just that if you want some pretty good results, it's not likely to happen with $200 budget for an upper and 100 rounds.

 

[alinwa]

We use it because the buck to do ratio is severely out of wack... 7-8 does per buck. May not sound like a bad thing however the bucks can breed all those does when they come in heat. So they get lazy and may get bred on the 2nd cycle or third, or now any time of year.

So why does this matter?

If you take 50 fawns and let them all go at once, how likely are coyotes to get them all before they grow up a little and wise up? Conversely let 10 go every month and see how many make it. It’s like an all you can eat buffet. You are actually making the coyotes wiser because of all the opportunities they get throughout the year.... bang huge coyote problem, attacking kids now and small yard animals.

Here ya go... going to tie it all in for you. The 300 blkout was developed for sub and super use, in the same magazine mind you. Little bit of pistol power, lots of kinetic energy. We made it to much more by our need to perfect good ideas. I use it for hunting deer because I’m a conservationist. I try to balance the herd in our area. We have a deer quota program for those interested in it as well. It allows you to hunt subsonic with a can and take three or four doe in a field before the supersonic crack scares them all off after the first shot. Methodical precision. You hunt with a big loud stick, I’ll hunt with a scalpel. Won’t train the deer, or the varmints. Those jokers already know when opening day deer season is, fill up the truck, donate the meat and make for a better larger herd with proper game management with a perfect round for doing so.

Wes

Thank You...... great answer.